Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-06-18

| transferred 70 the District Commissioners The
comforting OF such monstrous power upon three
men, appointed by President the people are not
allowed TO vote for, to tax without their consent
the water that 100000 people drink, shows how
careless congress can be while legisating for this
power. it does not foliow that they have right
10 use lt to persecute the people or to crafty
their personal whims
WATER RENTS.
First, with regard to water rents Capt. Symons
says:
that the heretoore derived rom this
sS LIZ 4s by the thar have bsen
the Hs Z The
snt time there are several sections of the city abso-
to place fire hydrans and other appliances IN these
localities. but it cannot be done without money"
| Capt Symons overlooks the fact that the law
requires nre-plugs to be paid for out OF the ward
FUNDS: lSee We6o's Digest p. 4o5.l As there are
be- Tor 9
| raj 1und. What justice can there be in requiring
consumers OF water In one section Of the city to
anu insurance companies in another section or the
| clty7 There Is fre-plug tax that seems to have
been overlooked by our rulers lSee Act Of Con-
gress, March 3 1851 This act requires that all
houses into which Potomac water has not been in
troduced, and which are situated within 500 feet
OF hre-plug. shall pay an annual ire-plug tax OF
| not less than 81 nor more than rs.
Capt.. SymonS gives as another reason for In.
creasng water rates that the receipts OF the water
| department are "leSS than the Congressional ap-
preparation by $6S, OO0." II this is so, then the
commissioners would seem to be Justified in in-
concede that they should have money enough to
| meet the honest debts OF the department..
nave several reports before me which prove
That as the number Of water takers increases the
receipts grow less The receipts from July l,
1879. to June 80. $780, for water rents were $685.
or 1 sg snd r.;
receipi for water rents from July l. 1885, to June
60 1885 were [see last Report p 1881 s1s4 e6s. Is.
Excess for water rents1n 1880 1885, $40 715 10
!nlS Is OnclaL HOW does Capt. SymOnS explain
this great falling of in receipts when, according
the lhda Of new taps made
$4,000 per year. Last year the captain Informed
us that the receipts from taps were S, 900. This
would indicate that 1896 new subscriptions for
water were made last year, which should add
$4,000 at least TO the receipts for water rents for
last year alone, not to mention the increase during
tne other nve years, since 1850, and yet the
official reports show that the receipts from water
| rents last year were $40, 71519 less than seven
| years ago.
These reports prove one of four things. Either
that Water Register Cox or Capt. SymonS made a
mistake, or else large number OF people are pay
ing ing no wafer n rent or there Is heavy defalca
1t is not denied that there has been defalcation
III tnaI once winch, Tor reasons best known to the
parties concerned, has been kept smOthered from
the public The deficiency has been stated all the
way from $4,000 to $4,000. But this occurred
The People would IKE pS see Is balance
sheet OF this department., which they have not
seen for seventeen years. The law requires not
only detailed statement, showing the exact
financial condition or the water department each
| year, put a summary monthly statement which IL
You Will consult the HES VI The STAR you viii See
was made regularly up to 1871 The Law also
requires that the accounts OF the office shall be
AUDITED i every six months. Had the law been COM
satisfied, would not exist.
WATER TAXES.
With regard to the proposed increase In the tax
| for laying water MAINS Capt. Symons says:
There is also another matter to which called tho
COMMISSIONER attention in my last annual report
mean that the tax should be increased
simply sns1 nowadays we are putting down larger
n %cn TO o. course cost more money In the old
We're only about three to inches Diameter but
At the present time they are much larger"
| Here again Capt. Symons is mistaken The rate
in the Old days That he speaks OF was not Lcents
but only seveneighths or cent. The reason OF the
increase to ~ cents was that the board Of public
works Thought it would be better to Law a 4-inch
main on each side OF the street rather than 6inch
main In the center OF the street. AS more to
lay two finch mains than one 6-inch main there
seemed to be an excuse for increasing the n
But the present Commissioners, as Is show b by
their last report have returned to the Old way OF
| laying one pipe In the center OF the street. Out
or A. 544 feet OF water main laid last year Al Sl5
was small pipe, inches and less, and nearly all
was never foot Of pipe laid less than inches
until last year. Their report shows that they laid
6623 feet OF 3inch main last year. so that instead
or laying larger pipe than formerly their report
shows that they are laying smaller pipe than was
ever laid before; and their contract given out the
| past week, for the coming year, shows that they
are going TO continue the practice.
The Old tax OF Seven-eghJhS OF q cent per SQUARE
| foot was fixed by Mr.. Randolph Coyle, one OF the
ablest engineers OF his time, who was the organi-
ger OF the water department OF Washington, and
| Its first registrar. That tax was ASSESSED after
much experimenting, DIS being the actual cost of
| laying and inch mains in the cenler of the
Streets in compliance with an ordinance of the
| corporation, and an act Of Congress which reads
as follows: "The rates levied shall never be a
source OF revenue, other than as means OF keep
Ing up to the said cities supply OF water"
remember OF being seated in room one even.
Ing seventeen years ago. IN company with Mr. Jno
w. Thompson, Mr.. Crosby s. NOyes, Mr. JnO. II.
Semmes and Mr.. Geo. w. Linville the gentlemen
that composed the water board at that lime Mr.
cent being Sufficient TO pay the cost OF laying g.
inch mains. We figured the cost OF several 6inch
mains in different parts OF the city, and found
that the average cost paid q small pront TO the
corporation. We were then paying $7S per ton for
pipe and 16h cents per linear FOOT for laying the
hall the price we then paid. Indeed, the Commits
SiOnerS have contracted for 1900 feet OF mains
the past week at less than half the price paid sew
enteen years ago, when the assessments were ONLY
SegeD-elShLhS OF cent per square foot Ihave be.
fore me their award to the Camden Iron Co. to
wit:
1900 feet 12-inch main. .S1O $50 90
1O'OOO ...........s...... 1851. 90
!o'UOOO =, =. =, .................. 4,4S2.OO
$22,24375
$24,743.75
~ fha